The Ghosts of Aquinnah (19 page)

Christopher opened his eyes. “What is it? Did I hurt you?”

“
A little.” Stella clutched her stomach. “I think Josiah broke my ribs when he kicked me. I’m sorry.”

“
Nothing to be sorry for. I’m the one to apologize. I know you’re injured.”

“
I’m sorry,” Stella said again.

Christopher kissed the top of her head. “Please don’t apologize, love. You’re in pain and I’m a selfish bastard.”

Stella’s mouth curved into as much of a smile as she could manage with her swollen lip. Her finger traced the line of Christopher's jaw. “You’re not that. Not at all.”

“
I am.” He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “But I do have a defense. I’m mad about you, lass, it’s as simple as that. I’m off my chump. Have been since the day I first laid eyes on ye.”

“
I dare say I’m mad about you, too.” Stella said. “Josiah was right about that, at least.”

Christopher kissed her again and looked around the shack that had become their sanctuary. “We need to get out of here anyway and get you somewhere safe,” he said. He reached for the sack he had grabbed from his living quarters and pulled out a wrapped biscuit. “But first, you need to get some food in you.”

“
I can’t eat now,” Stella said.

“
Just a few bites.” Christopher broke the biscuit into tiny pieces. “You need some nourishment.”

Stella nibbled at the pieces of biscuit, each chew bringing a fresh wave of pain to her face. She handed the rest back to Christopher. “That’s enough. I can’t eat more.”

Christopher nodded and quickly scarfed down the remains of the biscuit for his own breakfast. He took a canteen from his sack, grateful that he had filled it the night before when he thought he would be taking it out on the boat in the morning.

“
Take a sip of water,” he said.

She gratefully took the water and swallowed several gulps before handing the canteen back to Christopher.

“
Thank you,” she said.

Christopher took a drink himself and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “We need to get you away from here,” he said. “You’re not safe on this island with Josiah.”

Stella felt a lump in her throat as she realized the enormity of his words. “This island is my home,” she said.

“
He won’t leave you in peace, Stella.”

“
He’s already taken everything from me,” Stella said. Tears sprung to her eyes as the events of the previous day returned to the forefront of her mind. “He sold my sheep. And he took Henry away too.”

Christopher gritted his teeth. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Stella shook her head. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I can’t bear to think of it.” She looked straight into his eyes with the one eye she could still open. “Do you have an idea of where I can go then?”

“
I do.” Christopher reached for his sack and raised it. “I told you last night, I’ve got this money I’ve been able to put away. It’ll get us on a steamer back to the mainland. I’ll find work in New Bedford on the docks.”

“
You don’t want to go to New Bedford, you told me so. You’re saving your money for Savannah.”

“
I was,” Christopher said. “Things have changed. I don’t have time to save any more money. We need to leave here now.”

Stella stared out through the window of the shack and let out a deep breath. She turned back to Christopher. “No. I won’t have you taking care of me.”

Christopher took her hand. “Stella, that’s not how it would be.”

“
It is. I’ve already had one man taking care of me and look where it’s left me. I shan’t have another.”

“
I wouldn’t turn into Josiah on you.”

Stella ran a finger along the rough stubble of his cheek. “I didn’t mean to imply that you would. But I can’t let you give up your plans for me. You’d come to resent me, just like Josiah did.”

Christopher shook his head. “I wouldn’t.”

Stella leaned back next to Christopher along the wall of the shack. “I have my own money,” she said. “A great deal of money.”

“
How’s that?”

“
The money Josiah got for selling my father’s land should be mine. He still has some of it left, and I know where it is.”

“
You shouldn’t go back to that house.”

Stella sat up again and looked at him. “I shouldn’t go back to my house? It’s mine, not Josiah’s. It’s always been mine.”

“
That’s not the case since you married him. You know that. Everything of yours belongs to him.”

Stella fought back tears of anger. “Then I’ll take my money and leave him to his house,” she said, spitting out the words.

“
How can you do that?”

“
Josiah will be going out for his appointments today like he always does. I’ll simply watch the house from the trees and wait until he leaves. Then I’ll slip in and take my money from my father’s safe.” She turned back to Christopher. “You can come with me. As soon as I have the money we’ll leave this place. And we’ll use my money to get us both to Savannah.”

Christopher shook his head. “I don’t know, Stella. I don’t think it’s safe for you to go near him again.”

“
I won’t be near him. He won’t know I’ve been there until I’m long gone. We’ll go to Cottage City and get on the first steamer we find.”

Stella felt a rush of excitement as she talked. Now that she had a plan, she couldn’t wait to leave this island and her husband behind.

She stood up with difficulty and forced herself to ignore the pain from Josiah’s kicks to her stomach and leg. She reached her hand out to Christopher, who remained on the floor.

“
Come with me,” she said. “We need to leave now. We’ll walk through the woods and avoid the road. I know the way.”

Christopher took her hand and stood up without hiding his hesitation. “I still don’t think this is a good idea.”

“
I want to be free of him,” Stella said. “He’s taken everything from me.”

“
If he stays home and finds you…”

“
He won’t. I told you, we’ll wait until he leaves.” Stella looked at him with a beseeching eye. “Trust me, please.”

Christopher smiled and kissed her softly on her mouth. “You know I can’t resist you, lass. God help me, I can’t say no to you.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I just pray this isn’t a mistake.”

Stella smiled as much as her swollen lip would allow. “It isn’t a mistake. Nothing will go wrong,” she said. “And we’ll be on our way to Savannah in no time.”

They slipped out of the shack and glanced around the docks to make sure they were alone. Without a word, Stella and Christopher walked quickly to the road and, together, they disappeared into the trees.

****

“
What’s going on?” Christopher whispered as he and Stella stared through the trees at the Winslow home.

“
I can’t imagine,” Stella said.

The Chilmark police wagon was parked in front of the house, and two men Stella recognized as Jon Coffin and Zebediah Johnson paced on the porch Josiah had so harshly thrown her on the night before. The two men looked edgy and angry as they walked the length of the porch and back, and she could see them shaking their heads as if in disbelief.

Stella knew Johnson and Coffin regularly came to Josiah to purchase medications from him, and in fact they were among the best customers of the drug store he ran out of his office. She cursed herself for forgetting this was the morning they normally came. Josiah would likely not be leaving today for patient visits at all. But with the activity going on around her home, she knew Josiah’s schedule was the least of her concerns at the moment.

“
I need to find out what’s going on,” she whispered. “I’m going over there.”

“
Wait, Stella,” Christopher said. “What if Josiah has set this up somehow? What if he wants to get you in trouble?”

“
For what? I’ve done nothing that would concern the police. Something’s happened in my home and I mean to find out what it is.”

Stella walked through the trees towards the road with Christopher reluctantly following behind.

“
What’s happened here?” she called out.

Johnson and Coffin turned to her and stared open mouthed at both Stella and her companion.

“
It’s him,” Jon said. “The mucker!”

“
What?” Stella said. “What are you on about?”

Jon stuck his head inside the door of the house. “Sheriff? Casey’s out here right now. He’s bold enough to show his face at the doc’s home.”

Christopher froze at the gate of Stella’s home. He couldn’t imagine what had happened, but he knew at once that he had made a terrible mistake in coming to the Winslow home. He turned, hoping to run back to the safety of the woods, but he was tackled to the ground before he could move more than a yard.

Zebediah Johnson shoved Christopher from behind and quickly jumped on top of him, pinning his arms behind his back before Christopher could fight him off.

“
I’ve got him, Sheriff!” he yelled out.

“
What are you doing?” Stella yelled. “Let go of him!”

Christopher struggled under the weight of his captor. “Let me go, man. I’ve done nothing to ye.”

“
Nothing to me, no. But plenty to the doc. You dirty Irish son of a bitch.”

“
What are you talking about? I’ve not even seen Doctor Winslow in months.”

Stella saw Sheriff Tilton come onto the porch and ran to him. “What on earth is happening here? Tell Mr. Johnson to let Mr. Casey go at once.”

The sheriff stopped short, obviously taken aback by the wounds to Stella’s face. He caught himself, and tipped his hat. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Mrs. Winslow.”

“
Where is my husband? What’s going on?”

“
The doc’s dead,” Jon said. “And that mucker killed him.”

Stella reeled backwards as if she had once again been punched.

“
Damn you, Coffin, keep your mouth closed for once,” the sheriff said. He removed his hat and looked at Stella with pity. “I’m afraid it’s true, ma’am. Doctor Winslow’s been murdered. The boys here found him inside this morning.”

“
He was dead when we got here,” Jon said. He pointed again at Christopher, who continued to struggle with Zebediah. “Shot in the chest by that Irish bastard.”

Stella shook her head and felt so dizzy she feared she would collapse. “It can’t be true,” she said. “It’s not true.”

Sheriff Tilton turned to Jon and gestured towards the two figures on the ground. “Go help Zebediah rein that one in,” he said. As Jon ran off the porch, Tilton turned his attention back to Stella.

“
I’m afraid it is true, ma’am. I’m truly sorry.”

Stella stared up into his eyes. “But you’re not listening to me. It can’t be true. Christopher didn’t shoot Josiah. He couldn’t have.”

“
Ma’am, your husband wrote out a note before he passed. He named Mr. Casey there as his killer.”

Stella felt herself slipping, and grabbed onto the railing of her porch for support.

“
Oh no,” she cried. “No, please.”

“
I’d recommend you not go inside your house. I’m sending another officer out here to help and he’ll take you to a safe place.”

A safe place. She had been safe. She was safe with Christopher, and she’d led him here to this.

“
He was with me,” Stella said. “He didn’t shoot Josiah.”

The sheriff looked at her with pity, and walked off the porch towards Christopher, who was now trapped between Jon and Zebediah. The sheriff took a rope from his belt, and tied Christopher’s hands together in front of him. He led him towards the back of the police wagon.